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Sunday, March 30, 2014

With the Moncton Wildcats losing to the
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada tonight, the Halifax Mooseheads are the lone
Maritime team remaining in the 2014 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Wildcats lost their first round series to the Armada
4-2, dropping Game 6 on Sunday by score of 4-2. The Armada won the game without
the services of former Sea Dogs forward Ryan Tesink who was suspended five
games by the QMJHL for a hit from behind in Game 5.

With Moncton being eliminated, the second round matchups
have now been determined. They are as follows:

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The 20-year old forward was suspended five games by the QMJHL today for a hit from behind on Adam Holwell of the Moncton Wildcats on
Thursday. The Armada lost the game 3-2 but lead the series 3-2 heading into
Game 6 on home ice tomorrow.

The above video of the hit has over 6,000 views on
YouTube and a Yahoo Sports article has almost 40 comments on the situation.

Tesink is tied for the Armada playoff scoring lead with
four goals and three assists for seven points in the five games. It’s a big
loss for Blainville-Boisbriand as Danick Martel, who had five goals in this
series, suffered a broken collar bone on Thursday, according to the Times & Trancript.

Tesink and Martel have combined to score nine of the
Armada’s 18 goals in this series. This could be trouble, especially with the
Wildcats already winning a game on enemy ice.

Friday, March 28, 2014

The Moncton Wildcats are still alive in the Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Wildcats staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory in
Game 5 last night over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Armada lead the
series 3-2 heading into Game 6 in BLB on Sunday.

Former Sea Dog and current Armada forward Ryan Tesink had
an eventful game, fighting Garrett Johnston in the first period and then
getting thrown out in the second for a check from behind on Adam Holwell.

The Wildcats and Halifax Mooseheads are the only Maritime
based QMJHL teams remaining in post-season play. The Mooseheads completed a
sweep last night over the Charlottetown Islanders at Eastlink Centre. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan were swept also
swept away by the Val-d’Or Foreurs and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles lost in four straight
to the Gatineau Olympiques. All three of these series were delayed a day due to
the blizzard.

A few other playoff related notes:

With the Titan eliminated, Scott Oke’s QMJHL career has
come to an end. Oke, who played parts of three seasons with the Dogs, had 64
goals and 159 points in 252 career regular season games. He added nine goals and 12
assists in 49 playoff games.

The Wildcats had to start last night’s game at 6 pm because
of some trade show at the Moncton Coliseum this weekend. It just wouldn’t be the
playoffs without something weird like this happening in Moncton.

According to the Screaming Eagles’ Twitter, the start of
their second period was delayed due to a technical issue with the video review
system. Odd.

Rimouski and Baie-Comeau have already moved on with
sweeps over Chicoutimi and Shawinigan, respectively. Drummondville leads
Victoriaville 3-1 and Rouyn-Noranda leads Quebec 3-1 heading into Game 5s
tonight.

Five of the eight first round matches have ended in
sweeps. Oh, the excitement.

The final numbers are in, and Saint John’s attendance
dropped by over 500 fans per game for the second straight season.

The Sea Dogs averaged 3,423 fans per game during the
2013-14 season, the lowest average in team history. Despite the dip, the Dogs
were ranked fifth overall in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League attendance
behind Quebec, Halifax, Moncton, and Rimouski.

Strangely enough, it’s the second straight season that
the Sea Dogs’ attendance dropped by exactly 569 fans per game, meaning the club averaged
1,138 less fans per game this year than it did in 2011-12. Given the state of
the on-ice product it’s not a huge surprise but, still, it is a fairly big drop
in a two-year span.

Here’s a look at Saint John’s year-by-year attendance
numbers and where they ranked in the league.

Season

Total

Average

2005-06

156,694

4,477 (4th)

2006-07

134,354

3,839 (6th)

2007-08

139,214

3,978 (5th)

2008-09

133,613

3,930 (5th)

2009-10

140,779

4,141 (4th)

2010-11

152,237

4,478 (4th)

2011-12

155,060

4,561 (3rd)

2012-13

135,732

3,992 (4th)

2013-14

116,380

3,423 (5th)

The largest crowd at Harbour Station this season was
5,824. The smallest was 2,467.

Hopefully, with the team expected to improve next season,
the attendance improves as well. Personally, I think the in-house game day
experience could use an overhaul. Is it still one of the best in the
league? Yup, it is. But even the best experiences need to change and evolve
over time. I bet most season ticket holders
could tell you word-for-word what the game day host will say at certain points
at each home game. The time has come to shake things up.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Once again, American defenseman Chad Krys topped the
list. He is unlikely to go first overall because he probably won’t report to the
league next year or possibly ever. Quebec born defenseman Samuel Girard was
ranked second.

Given Saint John’s offensive struggles this past season, they seem
destined to take a forward with their top pick. Pascal Laberge of the Quebec
AAA ranks is the top ranked forward at No. 3 overall. “Without a doubt, Laberge is the
best forward available from the province of Quebec,” writes HockeyProspect.com.

In 40 games with the Châteauguay Grenadiers this season,
Laberge had 20 goals and 23 assists.

Newfoundlander Jordan Maher is the top ranked Atlantic
Canadian, coming in at No. 4. Maher led the Newfoundland & Labrador Major
Midget Hockey League in scoring this season with 23 goals and 24 assists in 24
games. He added 10 goals and 11 assists in 10 playoff games – tops in the
league – and helped the Central IcePak win a championship.

Mitchell Balmas of the Cape Breton
Tradesmen, also a forward, sits seventh.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs begin
tonight. Here are our predictions for the opening round.

Baie-Comeau Drakkar (1) vs Shawinigan Cataractes (16)

Kevin: Bottom line in this series - too much firepower
and too much depth on the Drakkar side of the ice for the Cataractes to handle.
Baie-Comeau is the No. 1 seed for a reason and Shawinigan traded away its best
offensive players at the deadline in Frederick Gaudreau and Francis
Beauvillier. Marvin Cupper will have to stand on his head just to steal a game -
and he may come close - but in the end an easy series for the league’s regular
season champs. Drakkar in 4.

Jamie: Got to respect the Cataractes for not just mailing
it in this season after such a bad start. They went 1-4-0-1 against the Drakkar
this season, which isn’t terrible but not good either. I don’t see Baie-Comeau
having a lot of trouble. Drakkar in 4.

Halifax Mooseheads (2) vs Charlottetown Islanders (15)

Kevin: The defending President and Memorial Cup
Champions will have an easy first round against the Islanders. Charlottetown
cleaned house at the deadline and will rely on rookie standout Daniel Sprong. Halifax
just has way too much depth and throw in Drouin, Ehlers, and others and the
Isles will be lucky to steal a game in this matchup. Mooseheads in 4.

Jamie: Mooseheads should roll through this series.
Unlimited points for Ehlers and Drouin coming up. Daniel Sprong’s time will
come. Mooseheads in 4.

Val-d’Or Foreurs (3) vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan (14)

Kevin: This, for me, might be the most lopsided matchup of the first round. The league’s most potent offense against the league’s
lowest scoring team just about says it all for this one. The Foreurs have the
league’s scoring champion in Anthony Mantha, the most dangerous offensive
defenseman in Guillaume Gelinas, and they added Antoine Bibeau to sure up the ‘tender
position. This one is not even close. Foreurs
in 4

Jamie: Can’t say I’m too excited about this series. Anthony
Mantha will probably average five goals per game or something ridiculous.
Foreurs in 4.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Jacob DeSerres has been named the CIS Goaltender of the
Year and a First Team All-Canadian.

The former Sea Dogs goaltender posted an impressive
13-2-0 record with the University of Calgary Dinos this season to go along with
a 2.15 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. He finished third in
the Canada West conference in wins, GAA, and SV%. In the playoffs, DeSerres
went 2-2 with a 2.49 GAA and .910 SV%.

The Dinos finished the regular season with a 21-4-3
record which placed them second overall behind the University of Alberta Golden
Bears. The Dinos then lost the Canada West final to the rival Golden Bears.

DeSerres played one season with the Sea Dogs, helping the
team win their first President Cup and Memorial Cup in 2011.

This year’s University Cup begins on Thursday in
Saskatoon. The host Saskatchewan Huskies will be joined by the Golden Bears,
Acadia Axemen, Windsor Lancers, McGill Redmen, and Carleton Ravens. Defenseman
Jason Seed (Carleton), goaltender Karel St. Laurent (Redmen), and goaltender Matthew Dopud (Carleton) are the only
former Sea Dogs taking part in this year’s tournament.

The 2015 and 2016 editions of the University Cup will be
held at the Halifax Metro Centre.

Here’s John Moore video of the dustup that ended last
Friday’s game in Halifax between the Sea Dogs and Mooseheads. Note the move
Sebastien Auger makes at the top of the screen around the 49 second mark to get
around the official. Auger and Moose goaltender Kevin Darveau had to be
separated (cool photo here).

Some other news and notes…

Saint John’s 19 wins this season is the second fewest in
team history. The 15 they had in 2005-06 is the fewest. The 43 points they
earned this year ties them with the 2006-07 team for the second fewest. It’s
worth noting that the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons featured 70 games scheduled,
two more games than 2013-14.

The Sea Dogs scored 165 goals this season which is the
fewest in team history. They had 173 last season and 174 in 2005-06. It’s
pretty obvious that the team needs to add some more skill to its roster this
off-season.

On News 88.9 this morning, Tim Roszell confirmed that
import Jurij Repe would not be back next season as an overage defenseman. Right
now, it appears the Sea Dogs’ trio of overages this fall will be Sebastien
Auger, Michael Abbott, and Stephen Anderson and the team will use both of their
picks in the CHL Import Draft.

Reports say there was noticeable applause for Boston area
native Charlie Coyle at TD Garden on Monday. A ton of his family and friends were in attendance. He was named third star in
Minnesota’s 4-1 loss to the Bruins.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

As expected, Sebastien Auger was the big winner at the
Saint John Sea Dogs’ annual awards banquet held on Tuesday night at the Delta
Brunswick.

The Sea Dogs goaltender, who played a vital role in most
of Saint John’s wins this season, was named the club’s Most Valuable Player
while also picking up the Three Stars and Team Player Awards. It’s the second
straight year that Auger has been named MVP, joining Chris DiDomenico as the
only other player to win it back-to-back.

The Sea Dogs announced this morning that they have signed
assistant coach Jeff Cowan to a two-year contract extension. The deal runs
through the 2015-16 season and, as usual, no financial details were released.

Cowan joined the club this past November soon after the
firing of head coach and general manager Mike Kelly. Cowan and Greg Leland
acted as assistants to head coach Ross Yates.

From the Sea Dogs’ release:

He began his professional playing career with the
American Hockey League's Saint John Flames, suiting up for 209 games over four
seasons between 1996 and 2000.

The native of Scarborough, Ontario, spent parts of eight
seasons in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Atlanta
Thrashers, Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, registering 47 goals and 81
points in 413 career games.

He also played three more seasons in the AHL, and another
in Germany, before retiring in 2012.

"Jeff has been a great addition to our coaching
staff," said Sea Dogs' President Wayne Long. "His NHL career speaks
for itself, and we are fortunate to have someone like him behind the bench. Our
players respect him and he will be an important part of our drive for a future
championship."

As another season of Saint John Sea Dogs hockey draws to
a close, let's take a look back at the season that was and look ahead to the future
that has yet to come.

The 2013-14 season was filled with ups and downs along
with a lot of new faces and the connecting of new names to numbers we often
associate with previous players. One thing became clear throughout this season - changes
were coming and more are yet to come.

Armed with a very young squad, the Sea Dogs
actually had a good year all things considered. This despite missing the playoffs
for the first time since 2006-07.This season the Sea Dogs finished with a record of 19-44-2-3 for a total
of 43 points while last season their record was 23-44-1-0 for a total of 47
points.

On the surface you may think they took a step backwards
this season having four less wins and four less points overall. However, the
Sea Dogs actually did improve over last season.We often hear about teams being in Year 1 or Year 2 of their rebuilding
phase, but it really should be looked at as more of a Phase 1, Phase 2, etc.

Looking back at the 2012-13 season, Saint John began the year
having players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Ryan Tesink, Stephen MacAulay, and
Kevin Gagne who were key contributors to the team’s success over the previous
three unbelievable campaigns. At this point the rebuilding phase hadn’t even
begun because these most valuable assets were still playing for the club.

Phase 1 - this phase truly began when the trade period opened
over the Christmas break last season.During this phase Saint John moved out Gagne, MacAulay, and Tesink along
with Aidan Kelly and Benjamin Hade. These players would be dealt for draft
picks in both the 2013 and 2014 QMJHL Entry Drafts. With the NHL returning to
action the Florida Panthers decided to keep Huberdeau in the NHL so ultimately
he would begin and end his QMJHL career as a Sea Dog, meaning Saint John would
end up with no return for the most valuable asset the club has ever had.

By comparison, the final 30 games after these players
were all dealt saw the 2012-13 Sea Dogs compile a record of 5-24-1-0 for a
total of 11 points. Meanwhile, the 2013-14 squad managed to post a record of
9-19-2-0 for a total of 20 points. The second part of the 2012-13 season is the
part of the year that should be focused on when trying to compare this season
versus last.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

With the season over, here are some things to watch
for/follow over the coming weeks and months.

Sea Dogs Awards Banquet – takes place this Tuesday at the
Delta Brunswick. Sebastien Auger will probably win some stuff.

The President Cup Playoffs – looks like they will begin this
Thursday. The Sea Dogs won’t be involved but some former Dogs will be.

The Coin Flip – usually takes place in early April. It’ll
be Saint John versus Sherbrooke to see who selects first overall in the QMJHL
Entry Draft. The Sea Dogs have had good luck with these in the past and picked
first in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

The QMJHL Entry Draft – takes place May 31st
in Sherbrooke. The Sea Dogs will pick first or second overall. Here are the
picks Saint John has as per the French boards: 1-2-4(CAP)-4(SHE)-7-8-9-11-12-13-14.

Trades – have to wonder if the Dogs might make some moves
at the draft to try and acquire some more early round picks.

The NHL Draft – takes place June 27-28 in Philadelphia.
Olivier LeBlanc and possibly others should be selected.

The CHL Import Draft - takes place sometime in early
July. With Saint John finishing 17th overall, we believe they will
pick fifth overall. The Sea Dogs are expected to use both of their picks in
this year’s draft.

Free Agents - Darrell Young has said in a few different
interviews that several free agents will be brought in for training camp.
Decent chance some of these names become public over the summer months.

Radio Rights - the CRTC finally approved the sale of News
88.9 to Newcap this past week. The station will reportedly be turned into an “an
Adult Contemporary format ‘appealing to listeners between 25 and 54 years of
age.’” Where the Dogs will be heard next season is up in the air.

10th Anniversary – it’s hard to believe but
next season is the Sea Dogs’ 10th in the QMJHL. They’ll probably
unveil some info on what’s going on with that over the off-season.

With a 6-2 loss in Charlottetown last night, the Sea Dogs
finish the season with a 19-44-2-3 record which places them last in the Telus
Maritimes Division and 17th overall. The team also ended the season
on a seven-game losing streak.

As for Charlottetown, with their win and a Shawinigan
loss they finished 15th overall and will take on the Halifax
Mooseheads in the first-round of the President Cup playoffs.

Some stuff from last night’s game…

Charlottetown scored on their first shot of the game at
4:12. A David Henley slap shot from just inside the blue line opened the scoring.

Josh Shatford and Zach Beaton each scored their first
career goals in the first period. Beaton added another in the third while
Shatford had a couple other good scoring chances.

Despite the fact the Dogs were down 3-1 after one, they
outshot the Islanders 18-8. They had a few power plays to help out their shot
total. 10 of those shots were considered dangerous.

The Isles dominated the shot clock in the second period,
outshooting Saint John 22-7. They basically dominated the first eight minutes
of play in the frame.

Keeping with the theme of firsts, Luc Deschenes scored
his first goal as a member of the Islanders in the second period. The
Fredericton native, who was passed over several times by the Dogs in the 2013
QMJHL Entry Draft, finished his rookie season with three goals and five assists
in 47 games.

Spencer Smallman had both Saint John goals and had a
team high seven shots. Smallman finishes the season with 12 goals and 23
assists in 66 games. He had six points in his rookie campaign.

Nathan Noel had two assists to finish the season with 39
points, good for 12th in QMJHL rookie scoring. Charlottetown’s Daniel
Sprong, who had a goal last night, led all 16-year olds in scoring with 68
points.

Antoine Landry got the start in net and made 31 saves in
the loss.

Saint John had nine power play opportunities but could only score on one of them. They had some good pressure applied in the offensive zone on most of them but couldn't generate a lot of quality chances.

Sell-out crowd of 3,718 watched the game at Eastlink
Centre. Their attendance increased 634 fans per game with the new ownership group.

20-year olds Jason Cameron and Lukas Walter played their
final game as a Sea Dog. David Weckworth did not play because of an upper body
injury. It was also very likely the last game for import Jurij Repe.
Pretty good chance a few others played their last game as well.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – A long 2013-14 season is over for
the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The rebuilding team finishes the campaign with a
19-44-2-3 record following a 6-2 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders at
Eastlink Centre on Saturday night. The team finishes last in the Telus Maritimes Division
and 17th overall in the 18-team Quebec Major Junior Hockey League,
missing the playoffs for the third time in team history and first since 2006-07.

The final result of Saint John’s season isn’t an overly
surprising one. This team began their rebuild last season and continued into
this year. But there is hope. The 2013-14 edition of this team showcased plenty
of promising talent for the next few years and they’ll have high picks in this
summer’s drafts. It’s hard to say what this team will look like come opening
night in September, but it’s sure to be one boosted with new additions.

Like Friday in Halifax, the Sea Dogs got behind in the
first and could never climb back. Spencer Smallman had Saint John’s two goals
while Antoine Landry made 31 stops in the loss.

Zach Beaton had two goals for the Islanders while singles
came from David Henley, Josh Shatford, Luc Deschenes, and Daniel Sprong. Mason
McDonald made 35 saves in the win.

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs
and Charlottetown Islanders…

When and where: Tonight at 7:00 PM AST, Eastlink Centre

TV/Radio: TELUS Webcast/News 88.9

Records: The Sea Dogs are sixth in the Telus Maritimes
Division and 17th overall in the QMJHL with a 19-43-2-3 record for
43 points. The Islanders are fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16th
overall with a 20-39-3-5 record for 48 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 loss in
Halifax last night where they allowed five goals in the first period. The
Islanders are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last
night. Daniel Sprong had the only goal for the Isles.

2013-14 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 4-3-0-1 against
the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 4-3-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: February 23rd at Eastlink Centre
when the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 2-1. Nathan Noel had both of Saint
John’s goals.

Random stat: Entering play tonight, Charlottetown's attendance is up over 600 fans per game from last season.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: None

SJ notes: This is the final game of the season for the
Sea Dogs… defenseman Bailey Webster has been called up for today’s game… if the
Sea Dogs lose today, 19 wins will be the second fewest in team history…
have lost six straight and are 2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games… after allowing
seven goals last night, Sebastien Auger now has the league’s second best save
percentage of .915… Thomas Chabot has penalty minutes in five straight games.

CHA notes: The Islanders sit one-point back of 15th-place
Shawinigan… losers of four straight and are 2-5-2-1 in their last 10 games…
Daniel Sprong is second in rookie scoring (67), goals (29), and assists (38)… a
league worst 6-17-2-4 when scoring first… 14-24-2-3 against the Maritimes
Division... Eric Brassard is 3-3 with a 1.99 GAA and .935 SV% against Saint
John this season.

Last night’s 7-2 loss in Halifax means Saint John has
officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Shawinigan grabbed the
final spot and even leapfrogged Charlottetown with a win last night.

It’s the first time the Sea Dogs have missed the playoffs since
the 2006-07 season. How long ago was that? Claude Giroux was one of the league’s
top scorers, the St. John’s Fog Devils finished just ahead of the Sea Dogs in
the East Division, and the Lewiston Maineiacs were the top team in the league.

The Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix are the only two
teams in the league to miss this year’s post-season and the two will take part
in a coin flip to determine who has the first overall pick in the QMJHL Entry
Draft. Saint John will also pick fifth overall in the CHL Import Draft.

Some other stuff from last night’s game…

Halifax really came to play last night. They took a 3-0
lead before the game was seven minutes old and led 5-0 after one period,
outshooting Saint John 17-5. Matthew Highmore had Saint John’s best scoring
chance of the period and Zach Fucale made a fairly easy stop on it.

The Moose kept rolling in the second period, scoring two
more times and getting 19 shots on net. They took their foot off the gas a bit
in the third and allowed the Dogs to get two goals but the result of the game
was never in doubt.

Saint John’s power play was once again ineffective, going
1-for-7 on the night. Their only goal on the man advantage came late in the
third. The Sea Dogs had 23 shots overall in this game with 12 being considered
dangerous. Their offense wasn't great but better than the last time they played the Moose.

Thanks to two goals and an assist last night, Jonathan
Drouin now has 101 points on the year with one game to play. Philippe Gadoury
also had two goals and an assist.

The Sea Dogs managed to keep Nikolaj Ehlers to just one
goal. So that’s something.

Marcus Cuomo and Mathieu Joseph each had two assists.

Zach Fucale was taken out of the Moose net after two
periods and replaced by Kevin Darveau. Sebastien Auger played the entire game
for Saint John. It’s got to be rare that the team leading 7-0 changes goalies
and the team losing does not.

With the game being a blowout so early, there were plenty
of fights throughout as you would expect. There was quite a scene at the end of
the game following a late Jason Cameron shot on goal as the horn sounded.
Everyone on the ice got involved, including Sebastien Auger who had to be separated
from Kevin Darveau by an official.

Halifax wore their green third jerseys so the Sea Dogs were
in white.

The Sea Dogs were without forwards Joey Richard
(shoulder) and Stephen Anderson (upper body) along with Michael Abbott (wrist),
Jeremy Doucet (upper body), and David Weckworth (upper body). News 88.9
reported Nathan Noel was a late scratch with the flu. He is listed on the
QMJHL’s game sheet.

Friday, March 14, 2014

HALIFAX – A five-goal first period led the Halifax
Mooseheads to a 7-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night.

The Mooseheads came flying out of the gate, scoring three
times before the game was seven minutes old. They would add two more to take a
7-0 lead after two. Halifax took their foot off the gas a bit in the third but
still managed a fairly easy 7-2 win over the Sea Dogs in front of a packed
Halifax Metro Centre.

There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this game. The
Mooseheads are significantly better than the Sea Dogs right now and it showed. Things were a bit nasty throughout, there were several fights, etc.

The win was Halifax’s 12th straight. Meanwhile,
Saint John’s sixth straight loss officially eliminated them from playoff
contention. It’s the first time since the 2006-07 season that the Sea Dogs will
not be appearing the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s post-season.

Jonathan Drouin and Philippe Gadoury each scored twice
for the Moose while singles came from Brendan Duke, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Brandon
Vuic. Zach Fucale made 11 saves through two while Kevin Darveau made 10 saves
in the third.

Jurij Repe and Nicolas Hebert each scored late in the
third when the game was already out of reach. Sebastien Auger played the entire
game and allowed seven goals on 42 shots.

HALIFAX – For the first time since the 2006-07 season,
the Saint John Sea Dogs will not be appearing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League’s post-season.

The Sea Dogs were officially eliminated from playoff
contention with a 7-2 loss in Halifax tonight. Saint John’s elimination means the
Shawinigan Cataractes grab the final spot and the Sea Dogs will join
the Sherbrooke Phoenix on the sidelines.

The goal of every team is to make the playoffs but,
looking at the bigger picture, missing the playoffs and getting higher draft picks is better for the team moving forward. The Dogs will now pick either first
or second in the QMJHL Entry Draft and top five in the CHL Import Draft.

The Sea Dogs play their final game of the 2013-14 season
tomorrow night in Charlottetown.

This is only the third time Saint John has missed the
playoffs in team history. The squad did not appear in the playoffs in 2005-06 and 2006-07. They
picked first overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft following both of those seasons.

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea
Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads…

When and where: Tonight at 7:00 PM AST, Halifax Metro
Centre

TV/Radio: Telus Webcast/News 88.9

Records: The Sea Dogs are sixth in the Telus Maritimes
Division and 17th overall with a 19-42-2-3 record for 43 points. The
Mooseheads are first in the Telus Maritimes Division and second overall with a
45-18-0-3 record for 93 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 loss in
Cape Breton on Wednesday night. Oliver Cooper had Saint John’s only goal. The
Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Charlottetown on Tuesday night.
Jonathan Drouin and Andrew Ryan each had a goal and an assist.

2013-14 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-6-0-0 against
the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 6-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 8th at Harbour Station
when the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 4-0. Saint John record just four
shots in each period for a franchise low 12 in total.

Random stat: Nikolaj Ehlers has posted an impressive 17
goals and 29 points during his current 11-game point streak.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: None

SJ notes: The Sea Dogs must win tonight’s game and hope
Shawinigan loses in regulation time to keep their playoff hopes alive…
defenseman David Weckworth was hurt in Wednesday’s game and did not play in the
final two periods… defenseman Jurij Repe and forward Marcus Cuomo are expected
to return from suspension tonight… losers of five straight and are 2-7-1-0 in
their last 10 games… entering the final weekend of the season, Sebastien Auger
still leads the league in saves and save percentage (.917)… Nathan Noel is 12th
in rookie scoring with 37 points… averaging a league high 37.21 shots against
per game… Repe has penalty minutes in six straight games… have lost three straight
on the road.

HFX notes: The Moose have won 11 straight games… two points back of
Baie-Comeau/Rimouski for first overall in the league… Nikolaj Ehlers is third in
the league in scoring with 100 points… Ehlers is fifth in goals with 47…
Jonathan Drouin is sixth in the league in scoring with 98 points… Drouin is
second in assists with 72… Zach Fucale leads the league in GAA (2.24) and wins
with 35… Ehlers leads all rookies in points, goals, and assists (53)… MacKenzie
Weegar is fourth in defensemen scoring with 55 points… 31-8-0-1 when scoring
first… the Moose have scored a league high 23 shorthanded goals… averaging 4.16
goals per game, second best in the league… Ehlers and Drouin are on 11-game point
streaks… tonight’s game is sold out.

Kensington wins the best-of-seven PEI Championship series
4 games to 2 and will go on to represent PEI at the Atlantic Major Midget AAA
Championships April 3 - 6th in Pictou County, NS.

Webster had a goal and two assists in six playoff games
with the Wild. He finished third on the team in regular season scoring with
five goals and 25 points in 31 games.

The 16-year old defenseman was a seventh-round pick of
the Dogs in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft. He looked pretty good in six games with
Saint John this season, recording three assists.

The New Brunswick final features the Saint John Vitos
taking on the Moncton Flyers in a first-to-eight points series. The Vitos lead that series 2-0 with Game 2 scheduled for tomorrow night at the qplex.

With Shawinigan also winning, the Sea Dogs must now win
both of their remaining games and hope the Cataractes lose their remaining two
games in regulation time in order to make the playoffs. The Sea Dogs are four
points back of the final playoff spot currently held by the Cats and Saint John
would win the tiebreaker.

The chances of the Sea Dogs making the playoffs appear
slim because of the fact that they are playing the Mooseheads in front of a sold-out Metro
Centre on Friday night. Halifax is in a battle for first overall, have won 11
straight, and dominated much of their last meeting against Saint John.

Last night’s action also eliminated Sherbrooke from
playoff contention and clinched spots for Bathurst and Charlottetown.

Some other stuff from last night’s game…

With a suspension, injuries, and players returned to the
MHL, the Sea Dogs were only able to dress five defensemen last night. Things
got even worse when David Weckworth did not play in the final two periods due
to, presumably, injury. Jason Cameron once again saw some time on defense.

Saint John’s defense did, however, get a much needed
boost with the return of Olivier LeBlanc. The second-year Dog played in his
first game since February 9th and recorded three shots and seven
hits.

Oliver Cooper opened the game’s scoring with a goal at the
6:00 mark of the first. Cooper now has 28 goals on the season including six in
his past six games.

Saint John’s offense once again struggled to get things
going consistently. They had just 15 shots in the first two periods combined
and 23 overall. They also went 0-for-5 on the power play.

The Dogs did have some solid pressure applied in the offensive zone in the final minute of the game but were unable to net the equalizer.

Sebastien Auger was quite good in this game, making 43
save in the loss. Definitely gave the Dogs a shot at winning and they may
have if Saint John’s offense could have gotten going some more.

Kyle Farrell’s shorthanded goal at 9:39 of the second
proved to be the game-winner. The Dogs have given up nine shorthanded goals
this season.

The Sea Dogs have now lost five straight.

This was the Screaming Eagles’ final home game of the
regular season. They finish the year with a 23-11-0-0 record at Centre 200.

Cape Breton wore their green Irish themed jerseys last
night so the Sea Dogs had to wear their white jerseys. Not sure how many times
the Dogs have faced the Eagles while in green but it seems like quite a few
times now.

The Screaming Eagles were also shorthanded and missing some key contributors with Jason Bell (upper body), Clark Bishop
(suspended), Justin Hache (upper body) and Cameron Darcy (eye infection) all
sitting out. Cape Breton also dressed just five defensemen and started their
backup goaltender.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

FINAL: Saint John 1, Cape Breton 2SYDNEY, NS – It’s all but over for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

With Saint John falling 2-1 in Cape Breton tonight and Shawinigan defeating Sherbrooke, it would take a minor miracle for the Sea Dogs to make the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s post-season. It’s still possible, but the Sea Dogs would have to win both of their remaining games – which includes Friday night's tilt against the loaded Halifax Mooseheads in front of a sold-out Metro Centre - and get some favours from other teams in order to make the playoffs.

Saint John sits 17th overall in the league with 43 points, four back of the Cataractes who hold the final playoff spot. If the Dogs were to win Friday’s game in Halifax and Saturday’s game in Charlottetown while Shawinigan lost on both of those days in regulation time, Saint John would win the tiebreaker and make the playoffs. But, with the way the Moose have been playing and the way they beat the Dogs last weekend that seems just a bit unlikely. But, y’know, there is a reason they play the games.

The Sea Dogs dropped their fifth straight game with Wednesday’s loss to the Eagles. It was more of the same struggles for the Dogs – they were shorthanded on the backend, only recorded 15 shots in the first two periods, and went 0-for-5 on the power play.

Oliver Cooper opened the scoring at the 6:00 mark of the first period. The Eagles would tie it up 3:10 of the second thanks to Raphael Corriveau. Kyle Farrell netted the winner while shorthanded at 9:39 of the middle stanza.

It was another busy night for Sebastien Auger who made 44 stops in the loss. Eagles backup Zachary Fortin made 22 saves in the win.

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea
Dogs and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

When and where: Tonight at 7:00 PM AST, Centre 200

TV/Radio: TELUS Webcast/News 88.9

Records: The Sea Dogs are sixth in the Telus Maritimes
Division and 17th overall in the QMJHL with a record of 19-41-2-3
for 43 points. The Screaming Eagles are second in the Telus Maritimes Division
and ninth overall with a record of 35-26-1-3 for 74 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-4 loss in
Bathurst on Sunday. Saint John had a four-goal first period lead but allowed
seven unanswered in the final two periods. The Screaming Eagles are coming off
a 5-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Three different Eagles had a goal
and an assist.

2013-14 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-3-1-1 against
the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 5-3-0-0 against Saint
John.

Last meeting: March 1st at Harbour Station
when the Sea Dogs wrecked the Screaming Eagles 9-3. Marcus
Cuomo, Noah Zilbert, and Oliver Cooper each had two goals.

Random stat: Two of Saint John’s three wins against the
Screaming Eagles this season have come at Centre 200.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Screaming Eagles: None

SJ notes: The Sea Dogs are two points back of the final
playoff spot with three games to play… 2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games and have
lost four straight… forward Marcus Cuomo and defenseman Jurij Repe are both
suspended for this game… Oliver Cooper has six goals in eight games against the
Eagles.

CB notes: The Eagles have clinched a playoff spot but are
battling for positioning. They could finish anywhere from 9th to 11th…
8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and have won two straight… Clark Bishop is
suspended for today’s game… Cameron Darcy is ninth in league scoring with 80
points… Julien Pelletier is third in rookie scoring with 47 points… Pelletier
is fourth in rookie goal scoring with 23… Jeremy Beaudry is fifth in defensemen
scoring with 51 points… Beaudry is second in defensemen goal scoring with 19…
Justin Hache is fifth in defensemen assists with 41… the Eagles have the third
best power play in the league with a rating of 24.8%... the Eagles will be
wearing their green Irish jerseys.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Stephen MacAulay finished in a tie for first in Atlantic
University Sport playoff scoring.

MacAulay finished the AUS post-season with five goals and
six assists for 11 points in 11 games, tying him for the point lead with
Moncton’s Alex Emond and Acadia’s Liam Heelis.

In his first AUS campaign, the former Sea Dogs forward
helped the Saint Mary’s Huskies reach the AUS Final where they lost 3-1 in the
best-of-five series to the favoured Acadia Axemen. The Axemen will now represent
the AUS at CIS Nationals in Saskatoon.

Also of note, Moncton’s Pierre Durepos, also in his first
AUS season, finished second in defensemen playoff scoring with three goals and
three assists in six games.

Some other news and notes on this Tuesday night:

Because it just wouldn’t be a regular season without the
Sea Dogs seeing the Screaming Eagles’ Irish jerseys, the Eagles will be wearing
the green sweaters in tomorrow’s game when they host Saint John at 7pm.

Both Jurij Repe and Marcus Cuomo are suspended for
tomorrow’s game due to “aggressor” game misconducts in Sunday’s game at
Bathurst. The team was also fined $500 for each infraction. The loss of Repe is
a big one with the Dogs already thin on the blue line due to injuries.

Charlottetown picked up a big point in an overtime loss
to the Halifax Mooseheads tonight. They now sit 15th with 48 points.
Bathurst sits 14th with 48 points as well. The two meet on Friday
night at Eastlink Centre.

Tomorrow night: a huge game between the Cataractes
and Phoenix in Sherbrooke. Shawinigan has won all three previous meetings this season.
If the Phoenix lose they are eliminated from post-season contention.

Here are the Moncton Wildcats - winners of the 2013-14 edition of the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup. It's the second straight year that the Wildcats have won the trophy and fourth overall. Saint John won it in 2011 and 2012.

No word yet on how big the parade will be but it will likely be as long as their Memorial Cup Championship parade. Yup, we went there.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are running out of time in the
QMJHL’s playoff race.

Following yesterday’s loss to Bathurst, Saint John is two
points back of the Shawinigan Cataractes for the league’s final playoff spot
with just three games left to play. To make things even more challenging,
Shawinigan plays the league’s worst team – the Sherbrooke Phoenix - on
Wednesday night.

Bathurst’s win yesterday basically got them a playoff
spot and Charlottetown will very likely join them. That leaves one spot
remaining for the Cataractes and Sea Dogs to fight over during the
final week of the regular season.

Some other stuff from yesterday’s game…

Saint John stunned the Bathurst crowd by scoring four
goals in the first 12 minutes of the game. Oliver Cooper got the scoring
started just 46 seconds in. Cooper scored again at 5:14 on a power play,
Matthew Highmore connected at 10:22, and then Samuel Dove-McFalls scored a
weird one at 11:59.

Despite having a 4-0 lead, the Sea Dogs were outshot in
the first 10-8 by the Titan due to a few power plays.

Olivier Cooper finishes the season with seven goals in
nine games against the Titan. Matthew Highmore had eight assists in the season
series.

It took all season, but 20-year old Lukas Walter finally recorded
his first QMJHL point – an assist – on Dove-McFalls’ goal.

Bathurst’s epic comeback started at 4:29 of the second
with a Nicholas Blanchard goal. That kicked off a stretch of three straight
Titan goals in just over a minute. They tied it up with a power play goal at 16:59
and then took the lead 17:47.

Yahoo’s Neate Sager on the comeback: “There's almost no
explanation for what the Titan, who have scored a QMJHL-low 140 goals, did on
Sunday. They even scored three goals in 62 seconds at one stretch.”

This was one of those rare games where all four goalies
see action. Bathurst’s Jacob Brennan was pulled after allowing three goals six
shots in the first. Just like last Sunday’s game in Bathurst, Antoine Landry
got the start in goal for Saint John. Landry didn't do as well as he did a week ago and was pulled after allowing five
goals on 26 shots in the first 40 minutes.

With David Weckworth sitting out with an upper body
injury, the team had to call up David Mosher from the MHL’s Truro Bearcats.
Mosher played in five games with the Sea Dogs in 2012-13 but had not played
with the team this season. He had one shot and one hit in the game.

With Weckworth out, the Sea Dogs’ defense was
inexperienced to say the least. Jurij Repe was the most experienced player on
the backend and he got thrown out for being an “aggressor” in a first period
fight.

This was Bathurst’s final home game of the regular
season. They finish the year with a respectable 14-16-2-2 record at the KC
Irving Regional Centre.

Saint John’s power play was ineffective once again when
they needed a goal the most. They finished the game 1-for-5 on the man
advantage. Bathurst, who had the league’s worst PP entering action yesterday,
went 3-for-7.

The Sea Dogs were excellent on faceoffs, winning 48 of
66. Matthew Highmore won 17 of 20 and Nicolas Hebert 13 of 15.

The Sea Dogs scored four goals in the first 12 minutes of
the game but could not contain the league’s worst offensive team in the final
two periods. Bathurst scored five times in the second period and added two more
in the third for the win.

Saint John certainly didn’t have a team loaded with
defensive experience and depth for this game. Rookie Antoine Landry got the
start in net and veteran David Weckworth was out hurt along with Olivier
LeBlanc and Jeremy Doucet. Jurij Repe was thrown out of the game in the first,
leaving Saint John’s backend loaded with rookies and inexperience.

The loss basically ends any hopes of the Sea Dogs moving
up in the Telus Maritimes Division standings. They still have a shot at making
the playoffs as they are two points back of the Shawinigan Cataractes with
three games to play. The two teams that miss the playoffs have a shot at the
first overall pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft and that, obviously, wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Scott Oke and Guillaume Brisebois each had two goals in
this game while singles came from Alexandros Soumakis, Alexandre Gosselin, and
Nicholas Blanchard. Jacob Brennan allowed three goals on six shots before
getting yanked. Miguel Sullivan made 28 saves in relief and also picked up an
assist.

Saint John had a pair of goals from Olivier Cooper and
singles from Matthew Highmore and Samuel Dove-McFalls. Antoine Landry allowed
five goals on 26 shots and was replaced by Sebastien Auger to start the third.
Auger made five saves in relief.

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs
and Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

When and where: Today at 3:00 PM AST, KC Irving Regional
Centre

TV/Radio: TELUS Webcast/News 88.9

Records: The Sea Dogs are sixth in the Telus Maritimes
Division and 17th overall in the QMJHL with a 19-40-2-3 record for
43 points. The Titan are fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 15th
overall with a 20-39-4-2 record for 46 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-0 loss to the
Halifax Mooseheads last night at Harbour Station. The Dogs only recorded 12
shots in the shutout loss. The Titan are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Moncton
Wildcats at home on Friday night. The Wildcats went 3-for-4 on the power play.

2013-14 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 5-3-0-0 against
the Titan this season while Bathurst is 3-4-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: These two met last Sunday at the KC Irving
Regional Centre with the Titan defeating the Sea Dogs 3-1. Antoine Landry
allowed three goals on 30 shots in the loss.

Random stat: Bathurst's 133 goals scored this season is the fewest in the league.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Scott Oke

SJ notes: Two points back of the final playoff spot…
2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games and have lost three straight… Saint John plays
their final four games of the season on the road… this is Saint John’s final
regular season game in the province… Matthew Highmore has six assists against
the Titan this season… Jurij Repe has penalty minutes in five straight games.

BAT notes: 3-7-0-0 in their last 10 games and have lost
two straight… 13 of their 20 wins have come at home… Jacob Brennan is third in saves… 12-26-2-1 against the Maritimes
Division… their 11.9% power play rating is the worst in the league… averaging
2.02 goals per game, the lowest in the league.

The Halifax Mooster Club made the trip to Harbour Station
yesterday. Their bus broke down about a half hour outside the city but they
were able to make it on time. Good stuff.

Some other stuff from last night’s game…

With Saint John losing and Shawinigan losing in a shootout,
the Cataractes are now two points up on the Sea Dogs for the final playoff
spot. The Dogs have four games remaining while the Cats have three.

The team’s trio of overage players – Lukas Walter, David
Weckworth, and Jason Cameron – were honoured before the game. A video tribute of
pictures was played. The three were also named the game’s three stars.

Halifax dominated at times in the first period,
outshooting Saint John 8-0 in the first half of the frame and 13-4 overall. Saint
John didn’t get their first shot until there was 9:17 left. Sebastien Auger and
the Dogs were able to keep it scoreless though, which was good.

Despite getting plenty of power play time in the second,
Saint John just couldn’t get anything going offensively and that really cost
them the game. They were outshot 15-4 by the Moose in the second.

Saint John’s offense couldn’t get much of anything going
this entire game. They had just four shots in each period for a game total of
12. Only four of those 12 shots were considered dangerous. The Dogs went
0-for-8 on the power play.

The 12 shots ties Saint John with Bathurst (January 29th)
for the fewest shots in one game this season.

This wraps up the home portion of Saint John’s regular
season schedule. They finish the year with a 10-21-1-2 record at Harbour
Station and were outscored 119-86.

5,824 were at the game for Fan Appreciation Day. It was
the largest crowd of the season at Harbour Station.

Defenseman Shane MacDonald made his QMJHL debut in this
game, replacing Sheehan Kirkwood who was reassigned back to the MHL’s Valley
Wildcats. MacDonald, wearing No. 2, had one hit and a fight against Samuel
Leblanc in the second period.

Philippe Gadoury was unreal in this game. He had two
goals but could have easily had a few more.

Nikolaj Ehlers’ goal scoring streak ended at eight games.
But with an assist, he did extend his point streak to 10 games.

Jonathan Drouin did not play for the Mooseheads. He was
reportedly sick.

The Moose are getting hot at the right time. They have
won 10 straight games and are four points back of first-place Baie-Comeau with
three to play. Halifax hosts Saint John next Friday.

It took some time, but former Sea Dogs forward Mike
Hoffman finally scored his first National Hockey League goal on Saturday.

Hoffman’s goal came at 9:36 of the second period on
a power play in the Ottawa Senators’ 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Video of the goal can be found here since the clip refuses to embed on this blog.

The goal came just 38 seconds after Hoffman recorded his
first NHL point – a great assist on a Kyle Turris goal.

Hoffman finished the game with two points, three shots,
and two hits in 14:48 of ice time. This was his eighth game with the Sens this
season.

The Kitchener native played in one NHL game in 2011-12
and three last season but had never recorded a point.

The Saint John Sea Dogs could only get 12 shots - four in each period - on Zach Fucale in a 4-0 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Of those 12 shots, just four were considered dangerous by the league.

It wasn’t like the Dogs weren’t given chances. They had eight power plays in the game but didn’t do much on any of them. It was certainly a frustrating night for Saint John’s offense.

Of course, some credit has to be given to the Mooseheads who won their 10th straight game with this victory. Philippe Gadoury was unreal and recorded two goals. Connor Moynihan and Darcy Ashley added singles while Fucale made 12 saves for the shutout win.

The loss obviously didn’t help Saint John’s playoff chances. With Shawinigan losing in a shootout, the Dogs are now two points back of the final playoff spot with a game in-hand. Tomorrow’s game in Bathurst is huge.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

A preview of tonight’s game between the Halifax Mooseheads and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at 7:00 PM AST, Harbour Station

TV/Radio: TELUS Webcast/News 88.9

Records: The Mooseheads are first in the Telus Maritimes Division and second overall in the QMJHL with a 43-18-0-3 record for 89 points. The Sea Dogs are sixth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 17th overall with a 19-39-2-3 record for 43 points.

Last games: The Mooseheads are coming off a 7-4 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Thursday night. Andrew Ryan and Darcy Ashley each had two goals. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday night. Matthew Highmore had two goals in that game.

2013-14 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-5-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 5-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: January 21st at Harbour Station where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2. Nikolaj Ehlers and Brent Andrews each had a goal and an assist.

Random stat: Nikolaj Ehlers has been ridiculous of late. He has an eight-game goal scoring streak going and has recorded 17 goals during that span – including three hat tricks.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: None

HFX notes: The Mooseheads have already won the division. They are five points back of Baie-Comeau with a game in-hand for first overall in the league… winners of nine straight games… Nikolaj Ehlers is fourth in the league in scoring with 97 points… Jonathan Drouin is fifth in league scoring with 96 points… Ehlers is fourth in goals with 47… Zach Fucale’s GAA of 2.30 is the best in the league… Ehlers leads all rookies in points, goals, and assists… MacKenzie Weegar is fourth in defensemen scoring with 53 points… lead the league in shorthanded goals with 23… averaging 4.18 goals per game, the second most in the league… Andrew Ryan and Drouin have assists in five straight games… Drouin has points in 10 straight games… the Halifax Mooster Club is also bringing a bus load of fans to the game.

SJ notes: This is Saint John’s final home game of the regular season… 2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games… one-point back of Shawinigan for the league’s final playoff spot with one game in-hand… Sebastien Auger still leads the league in saves and save percentage (.917)… Nathan Noel is 12th in rookie scoring with 37 points… averaging 37.13 shots against per game, the most in the league… Lukas Walter’s suspension is over.

Promotion: Today is Fan Appreciation Day at Harbour Station. $10,000 in prizes will be given away. It’s also the final home game of the regular season for the team’s trio of 20-year olds.

Join us on Saturday, March 8 for the first-ever Cyclones
Bobble-FIST Night featuring Cyclones captain David MacDonald!

The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive the
keepsake courtesy of U.C. Health and Novacare!
Different than a traditional bobblehead, the David MacDonald Bobble-FIST
will feature two bobbling fists instead of a bobbling head.

MacDonald is a former Sea Dogs captain, playing 60 games
with Saint John in 2006-07 where he recorded nine goals and 22 assists. The
defenseman also spent time with the PEI Rocket and Moncton Wildcats during his
junior career.

After playing in the AUS for five years, McDonald has
spent parts of the past three seasons with the East Coast Hockey League’s
Cyclones. This year he has two goals and nine assists in 52 games.

Charles-Olivier Roussel played with the Cyclones last
season. Steven Anthony, whose NHL rights were traded to the Florida Panthers this
week, is currently on the team’s roster.

Friday, March 7, 2014

It's Darrell Young’s first week as Sea Dogs general manager and he has already been thrown into the spotlight.

It was only a matter of time before the
Jack-Eichel-to-the-CHL-rumours got started – and they got started in a big way
today. TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted this afternoon that there is speculation that
Eichel wants to play in the OHL and take on Connor McDavid. But that would be
difficult with the Sea Dogs currently owning his CHL rights.

Saint John would have to place Eichel on waivers and then
have every QMJHL team pass on him in order to go to the OHL. Crazier things
have happened in the CHL, but Young assured fans that the Sea Dogs will not be
letting Eichel, who could challenge for the first overall selection in the 2015 NHL
Draft, simply slip away.

"There is no way we're ever going to let him go to
the Ontario Hockey League and I don't see any way he could get waived through
our league," Young told College Hockey News. That article has plenty of interesting tidbits. Young hopes
to meet with the Eichel family next week.

These rumours aren't going away any time soon - and they probably won't stop until after the World Juniors.

Some thoughts on this situation:

If Eichel is in the CHL next year, there is just no way
the Sea Dogs are not getting something. If he is with Saint John, that’s great.
If he only wants to play for the Remparts, then they can send some quality
draft picks Saint John’s way as payment for his rights.

Wherever Eichel plays next season, it is probably for
just one season. He’s real good. And, if the Remparts get the 2015 Memorial
Cup, you’d have to think they’d want him even more. It’d be great having him
play for the Dogs, but trading him might be best for the 2017 run.

I’m surprised situations like this don’t happen more, and
it’s one of the flaws with the CHL and their draft system. I don’t even know if
there is a perfect fix to this.

Boston University fans must just hate Saint John by now.

Eichel was also pick in the 2013 KHL Draft! Let's not forget about that now!

Plenty of Sea Dogs fans have expressed their frustration
with the team’s inability to get American players to report – and rightfully
so. Other than Charlie Coyle, the team has had very little luck. Hopefully
Young can change that.

Young mentioned getting “a few good European players”
again in the College Hockey News article. The Import Draft is going to be
exciting.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie went on Twitter this afternoon and
dropped some bombs.

There are whispers elite 2015 prospect Jack
Eichel may consider not going to BU if he could play head-to-head in OHL vs.
Connor McDavid.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) March
7, 2014

But Eichel currently obliged to play in QMJHL
if he goes jr instead of college. Halifax originally owned his rights, now
it's Saint John.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)
March
7, 2014

As McKenzie also noted, the only way Eichel could
move to the OHL is if Saint John placed him on waivers and every other QMJHL
team passed on him. That would seem unlikely, especially with the Quebec
Remparts being the Quebec Remparts. But, as McKenzie also notes, far stranger
things have happened in the CHL.

Eichel, who was a 10th-round pick of the Sea
Dogs in last year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, is expected to play at Boston University
next season. There has been talk of him challenging Connor McDavid for the
first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens here, especially
with Darrell Young now running the show in Saint John. With the exception of Charlie
Coyle, the Sea Dogs have had little luck attracting American players despite
the city being predominantly English speaking and an hour from the border.